Behind the achievements lay the 2023-2024 CESL Vis Moot Team’s relentless training and continuous refinement. After the 21st CIETAC CUP, which is held only a couple months after the Problem is published, the Team adjusted its pace in time, increased both frequency and intensity of training, and held a number of simulated hearing sessions with the support of Beijing Global Law Office and the guidance of the coaching team. It was an enriching journey that will pay dividends in their professional lives.
Before attending final Vis East Moot competition in Hong Kong, China, in mid-March, the Team participated in a number of Vis Moot Pre-moots around the world, including the Singapore edition sponsored by the Permanent Court of Arbitration Willem C. Vis Pre-Moot (“PCA Moot”); Moot Shanghai held by Shanghai Arbitration Commission and AIAC APAC (“AIAC Moot”). Special thanks to Beijing Global Law Office and Meng Fanqin for sponsoring and supporting the CESL Vis Moot Team.
I. Pre-competition Preparation
From the end of December 2023 to the beginning of January 2024, under the guidance of the coaches Meng Fanqin, Zheng Yan and Huang Shuai, the whole team of CESL Vis Moot paid three visits to Global Law Office located in Beijing for offline training. The coaches tailored training programs for the Team at that specific period, supervised and guided the procedural and merits teams respectively in case bundle arrangement, oral pleading from both sides and simulated hearing, answered the questions of the Team, and introduced practical details of arbitration case in real life. After these three trainings, the Team not only gained improved ability to plead, but also produced a stronger sense of belonging and cohesion.
Offline training at Global Law Office
Group photo with the coaches after training
From left to right: Chi Jing, Yu Yue, Wang Chenxi, Xu Rongshan, Zheng Yan, Lyu Lingqi, Wang Weiran, Song Dailin, Meng Fanqin, Huang Shuai
During the winter vacation, the Team’s training was not suspended. With the support and guidance of coach Prof. Susan Wintermuth, and former team members as well as current student coaches, Zhang Ruohan, Feng Shuyue, and Wu Yuzhuo, the Team kept the frequency of several trainings one week, made up for omissions, and grew at a steady pace. Besides, the Team also actively contacted other university teams for friendly matches to gain progress together.
Online training during the winter vacation
Pre-moot with the team of Universität Hamburg
II. Pre-moots Recap
Actual combat is the best way to practice. In order to further strengthen the team members’ ability to cope with the situations in formal competition, the Team actively participated in pre-moots organized by various sponsors and held in various countries.
1. 3rd PCA Singapore Vis Pre-Moot
From 29 February to 1 March 2024, Lyu Lingqi and Song Dailin headed for Singapore as oralists to face Wuhan University Team, International Islamic University Malaysia Team, and National Law University, Jodhpur Team in PCA Moot. Among them, National Law University, Jodhpur Team from India finally won the championship in both PCA Moot and Vis East Moot.
Post-hearing group photos with opposing counsels and arbitrators at PCA Moot
2. Moot Shanghai 2024
From 4 to 7 March 2024, Chi Jing, Wang Weiran, and Xu Rongshan participated in Moot Shanghai in Shanghai, where Chi Jing and Wang Weiran faced Shanghai University of Finance and Economics Team, Fudan University Team, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo Team, and Peking University School of Transnational Law Team. Three teams from China are all strong teams in the field of international moot court competition, while the team of Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo also ranked first in the general round of Moot Shanghai. Our team members were fortunate to always face strong competition because they could gain a lot of valuable experience.
The scenes of hearings at Moot Shanghai
3. AIAC APAC Pre-Moot 2024
The CESL Vis Moot Team successfully advanced to the elimination round of Global Top 64 after encountering University Gillani Law College, Bahauddin Zakariya University Team from Pakistan, University of Miami School of Law Team from the United States, Gujarat National Law University Team from India, and Universidad Francisco Marroquín Team from Guatemala during the online general rounds from 1 to 4 February 2024. From 6 to 8 March 2024, the AIAC Moot in person elimination rounds were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where Lyu Lingqi Lv and Song Dailin competed as the oralists while Wang Chenxi and Yu Yue were supporting researchers. The Team lost to NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, India, which eventually were the champion of this year’s AIAC Moot.
The scenes of elimination round of AIAC Moot
Compared with the team’s rather green performance in CIETAC CUP, after months of intensive training, team members showed great progress when returning to the hearing. Despite challenges like the absence of opponents and the heavy accents of arbitrators, the Team still gained valuable experience and growth, and they were 100% prepared for Vis East Moot in Hong Kong.
III. Off the field
The significance of participating in Vis Moot not only lies in obtaining the enhancement of knowledge and skill in the field of international commercial arbitration, but also in meeting commercial arbitration talents from all over the world and broadening our future career path. In between the hearings of Vis East Moot and its pre-moots, the Team actively participated in the social and academic activities organized by committees, made acquaintances, communicated and established friendly relations with teams, coaches and arbitrators from different countries, which will benefit the Team in organizing friendly matches, discussing professional issues and choosing career paths later on.
The opening ceremony & welcome reception of Vis East Moot
Group photos with participants from teams of Peking University, the University of Hong Kong, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Heilongjiang University, etc.
The closing ceremony & gala lunch of Vis East Moot
Award-winning moment
The current team members, who are new to the Moot, and the former team members, who have become arbitrators, met on the streets of Hong Kong
Vis Moot is not only a competition, but also a struggle and a legacy. We sincerely expect that the CESL Vis Moot family will absorb more and more students who are interested in international commercial arbitration, and cultivate more and more international legal talents who are passionate about and proficient in international commercial arbitration, so as to contribute to Chinese modernization and globalization of the rule of law. As a part of this, each year’s Team members pass on their knowledge by being student coaches for the following year’s team, and as such the CESL Vis Moot tradition becomes stronger each year.
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Photo | CESL Vis Moot Team
